Q-Interline wins Norwegian dairy equipment order

Q-Interline has received an order from an unnamed Norwegian dairy group for a DairyQuant GO analytical instrument equipped with its Bag Sampler accessory, allowing the customer to examine liquid dairy products and processed cheese using one measurement platform.

The Danish equipment supplier confirmed the order on 6 November 2026. Delivery is scheduled for December, with installation expected in January 2027. Neither the customer identity nor the contract value has been disclosed, and the company has not identified the specific factory in which the instrument will operate.

The equipment is intended to accommodate several dairy product types without requiring the customer to purchase a separate analyser for each physical form. That flexibility is particularly relevant where a laboratory handles conventional liquids alongside cheese products that become viscous or sticky during processing.

Q-Interline’s DairyQuant GO is based on Fourier-transform near-infrared spectroscopy, or FT-NIR. The technique measures the interaction between infrared light and a sample, using calibration models to relate the recorded spectral information to properties of the material under examination.

The method is used in food manufacturing to obtain compositional information without undertaking a separate wet-chemistry procedure for every routine measurement. Its usefulness depends on calibration quality, sample presentation and the suitability of the analytical model for the particular product being tested.

Processed cheese presents different handling conditions from liquid milk or cream. Its viscosity changes with composition and temperature, and a hot sample may be difficult to transfer into conventional laboratory containers without leaving material on the equipment or exposing the operator to unnecessary contact.

The Bag Sampler has been designed for hot, sticky and viscous materials as well as certain powders. The sample is placed directly into a sealed plastic bag for presentation to the instrument, reducing the amount of exposed product that must be handled during the measurement procedure.

That arrangement can simplify sample preparation where the material would otherwise adhere to a container or measuring surface. It also provides a way to limit direct contact with hot material, although laboratory personnel must still follow the relevant handling and safety procedures.

According to Q-Interline, the accessory is capable of analysing hot samples such as processed cheese at temperatures of approximately 70–80°C without compromising the analytical performance required for the application. The statement describes the supplier’s capability claim; installation-specific precision and accuracy figures have not been published.

Per Sand, vice president of global sales at Q-Interline, identified the ability to handle hot processed-cheese samples as a central feature of the Norwegian order. The company says the Bag Sampler addresses difficulties associated with measuring such products while supporting different sample types on the same instrument.

Representative sampling remains essential regardless of the analyser’s capabilities. A result obtained from a small portion of product can be misleading if that portion differs materially from the batch being assessed, especially where composition or temperature is uneven across the sampled material.

The sample container and the way material is presented to the instrument can also affect measurement quality. The Bag Sampler uses a defined presentation method for products that may be difficult to transfer consistently, while the underlying analytical system relies on appropriate calibration for the intended application.

Infrared measurement does not remove the need for reference methods or quality assurance. Calibration models must be established and maintained against suitable reference measurements, and laboratories need procedures for identifying results that fall outside the conditions in which a model has been validated.

Temperature can influence the physical behaviour and measured characteristics of a dairy sample. A formulation that flows readily while hot may become substantially more viscous as it cools, creating differences in how it can be handled or positioned for measurement.

These changes also affect laboratory workflow. Testing several products with different compositions and temperatures requires clear procedures for sample preparation, instrument settings and the comparison of results. Using a shared platform may simplify equipment arrangements, but the required product-specific controls remain important.

The Bag Sampler is already part of Q-Interline’s commercial analytical portfolio. In a July 2026 investor update, the company disclosed an order from Arla Foods for three DairyQuant systems with Bag Sampler accessories for cream-cheese analysis. The Norwegian contract therefore represents an additional application and customer order, rather than the accessory’s first use in dairy processing.

The same update described earlier work on reducing consumables and analysis time in a cream-cheese application. Those findings concerned a separate customer project and should not be attributed to the new Norwegian installation, for which operating results are not yet available.

Q-Interline markets DairyQuant GO for a range of dairy samples, including milk, cream, whey and concentrated products. The instrument forms part of its wider portfolio of analytical systems for laboratory, at-line and in-line applications.

The Norwegian order concerns a laboratory or at-line instrument rather than a continuous process sensor installed directly in production pipework. Samples will need to be collected and presented for analysis, with the resulting information used according to the customer’s established quality-control procedures.

At-line analysis can support production decisions by reducing the time between collecting a sample and obtaining a usable result. Its practical contribution depends on the measurement frequency, the accuracy required and how quickly the factory can respond to the information provided.

The supplier also provides software for handling instrument results and calibration-related activities. DairyQuant GO uses its InfraQuant interface, which can support connections with laboratory information management systems where the necessary integration has been configured.

The Norwegian customer’s intended analytical parameters have not been disclosed. The order does not establish a quantified reduction in product losses, increased output or improved manufacturing yield at the receiving facility, and such effects would require operating evidence after installation.

Delivery in December will be followed by the planned January commissioning. The installation will extend Q-Interline’s Scandinavian dairy customer base while providing another application for the Bag Sampler in testing products whose physical characteristics differ from conventional liquid dairy samples.